Envelope



H. TRENCHARD, JR

ENVELOPE Original Filed Dec. 8, 1921 INVENTOR ATTORNEY i atented Dec. 16,

UNITED STATES HENRY TRENGHARD, JR., 0F BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

ENVELOPE.

Application filed December 8, 1921, Serial No. 520,819. Renewed October 30, 1924.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, T'IENRY TRENOHARD, Jr., a citizen of the United States, residing in the borough of Brooklyn, of the city of New York, Kings County, New York, have invented an Improvement in Envelopes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in envelopes, and particularly in envelopes of the type disclosed in my prior Patent No. 1,171,006 of February 8, 1916.

In the above identified patent an envelope is disclosed which includes a closing flap having an opening therein adapted to register with an opening in the back of the envelope. A locking tongue, which is provided with stiffening or reinforcing'means which is a separate element attached thereto in suitable manner, is adapted to pass through the two openings, when the latter are in registration, to lock the fiap in its closing position.

The present invention is directed particularly to an improved locking tongue wherein the stiffening or reinforcement is accomplished by an extension from the body of the tongue which is bent back on said body and secured thereto by adhesive.

In the drawings I have shown one embodiment of my invention, but this specific form is selected for the convenience of illustration. It is quite obvious that numerous changes in the specific form may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, or exceeding the scope of the claims.

In the drawings- Figure 1 is an elevation of the hack of the envelope with the flap open;

Figure 2 is an enlarged detail of the tongue and reinforcing member, showing the latter before it is folded but after the gum has been applied thereto, and

Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional view showing the reinforcing member in its folded-over position and secured to the body portion of the tongue.

In the illustrated embodiment of the invention the envelope 1 is provided with a closure flap 2, which has an opening 3 therein, adapted to register with a similar opening 4: in the back of the envelope when the flap is folded over the back in its closing position.

A locking tongue which, in the drawings, is shown in its preferred form as integral with the back of the envelope, is provided. This locking tongue consists of a body portion 5, having an extension 6 integral with the body portion and of substantially the same width, which extension is bent back on the body portion and secured thereto by ad hesive. The width of the extension, however, may be varied. F or instance, the ex tension may be made narrower than the body of the tongue, the degree, of course, being controlled by the stiffness which it is desired to impart to the tongue. The position of the fold of the extension which forms the reinforced locking tongue substantially coincides with the fold of the flap of the envelope and is in fact ordinarily folded simultaneously with the folding of the flap and by the same motion. This arrangement facilitates manufacture. The extension of substantially the same width as the body portion of the tongue reinforces the entire leading edge of the tongue which is inserted through the registered openings and the side edges of the body portion. 1

In the drawings I have illustrated the adhesive as being applied to the extension of the tongue in two separated strips 7 which are arranged adjacent to the edge of the ex tension but which terminate short of the end thereof. While this is the preferred form and location of the adhesive, it of course will be understood that the adhesive may be applied to the extension in strips arranged in various other manners or to cover the entire face of the extension with the exception of the portion adjacent to the end. The area of application of the adhesive is controlled by the requirement that the adhesive must be effective to secure the extension to the body portion of the tongue to produce a suitable reinforcement. Furthermore, the adhesive may be applied in any of its various forms to the body portion of the tongue rather than to the extension thereof, the principal requirement being that the adhesive be so located, when the extension is folded over the body portion of the tongue, that the body portion and extension will be firmly secured together and will, 1

therefore, be effectively reinforced.

As has been stated the extension 6 is folded back over the body portion 5 of the tongue and secured thereto by the adhesive which is either applied to the extension or to the body portion, but which in any event Ill) forms a means for securing the extension to the body portion to provide a reinforcement and produce a relatlvely rigid tongue which may be easily inserted through the regis tered openings in the envelope and will maintain its form during the insertion and after.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention as in the envelope illustrated in the patent hereinbefore identified, the adhesive is not applied to the end of the extension so that when the extension and body portion are secured together the end of the former will be free and may be used as a grip for the manipulation of the tongue in the insertion of the same through the registered openings.

However, as hereinbefore stated, this grip portion may be dispensed with by coating the entire surface of either the extension or the body portion of the tongue, so that when the former is bent over and secured to the latter by the adhesive there will be no portion thereof protruding from the body portion.

lVhat I claim is:

1. An envelope comprising a body, a closure flap, and a flap locking tongue fixed to said body and extending longitudinally of the envelope, said flap locking tongue being folded on itself to provide a double thickness of material, the position of the fold thereof substantially coinciding with the position of the fold of the closure flap.

2. An envelope comprising a body, a closure flap, and a flap locking tongue fixed to said body and extending "longitudinally of the envelope, said flap locking tongue being folded on itself along a line substantially coinciding with the line of fold of the flap and being glued to provide a relatively stiff part of double thickness substantially as described.

3. An envelope comprising a body, a closure flap and a locking tongue, the locking tongue being folded on itself along a line substantially coinciding with the line of fold of the closure flap and being glued in folded relation to provide a relatively rigid part, and the body and flap each being provided with an opening adapted to receive the relatively rigid part of the locking tongue to hold the flap in closed relation. I

4. An envelope comprising a body with a closure flap and a locking tongue formed of the material of the body, the tongue having a free end folded on itself and secured to provide a reinforced end, the position of the fold of the tongue coinciding substantially with the position of the fold of the closure flap, and the flap and body being provided with registering openings to receive the reinforced end of the locking tongue to hold the flap in closed relation. v p

5. An envelope'comprising a blank having side wings folded into over-lapped relation and an end closure flap folded over said wings, the inner wing and the end flap being provided with registering openings, the outer wing being formed with a locking tongue extending longitudinally of the envelope and folded on a line coinciding substantially with the line of fold of the end flap to provide a stiffened part of double thickness insertable through the registering openings to hold the closure flap in closed relation.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification this 1st day of December, 1921.

HENRY TRENCHARD, JR. 

